The Tree, the Snake and the Goddess: Symbols of the Buddha’s Relationship with Nature

Some scholars have argued that early Buddhism offers little theoretical support for an environmental ethics because it regards nature as having no intrinsic value, since it is impermanent and unsatisfactory. I disagree, and argue that the mythic context of the Buddha’s life-story shows the Buddha in...

Full description

Saved in:  
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Jones, Dhivan Thomas (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Check availability: HBZ Gateway
Journals Online & Print:
Drawer...
Fernleihe:Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste
Published: Brill 2023
In: Worldviews
Year: 2023, Volume: 27, Issue: 1/2, Pages: 25-56
Further subjects:B Earth Goddess
B Buddhism
B Buddha’s life-story
B Environmental Ethics
Online Access: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)

MARC

LEADER 00000naa a22000002 4500
001 1833891392
003 DE-627
005 20230210052507.0
007 cr uuu---uuuuu
008 230210s2023 xx |||||o 00| ||eng c
024 7 |a 10.1163/15685357-20211206  |2 doi 
035 |a (DE-627)1833891392 
035 |a (DE-599)KXP1833891392 
040 |a DE-627  |b ger  |c DE-627  |e rda 
041 |a eng 
084 |a 0  |2 ssgn 
100 1 |a Jones, Dhivan Thomas  |e VerfasserIn  |4 aut 
245 1 4 |a The Tree, the Snake and the Goddess: Symbols of the Buddha’s Relationship with Nature 
264 1 |c 2023 
336 |a Text  |b txt  |2 rdacontent 
337 |a Computermedien  |b c  |2 rdamedia 
338 |a Online-Ressource  |b cr  |2 rdacarrier 
520 |a Some scholars have argued that early Buddhism offers little theoretical support for an environmental ethics because it regards nature as having no intrinsic value, since it is impermanent and unsatisfactory. I disagree, and argue that the mythic context of the Buddha’s life-story shows the Buddha in an intimate relationship with nature, and gaining Awakening while dependent on it. The Bodhi tree is not just a sacred tree but a symbol of the place of Awakening and a version of the Tree of Life. The mythical snakes or nāgas who support and encourage the Bodhisattva on his way to the Bodhi tree represent chthonic powers of living nature. The Earth Goddess who appears to witness the Bodhisattva’s practice of the perfections represents a culmination of this relationship. Her image derives historically from the Greek goddess Gaia. Nature therefore has an intrinsic value in relation to Awakening. 
650 4 |a Environmental Ethics 
650 4 |a Earth Goddess 
650 4 |a Buddha’s life-story 
650 4 |a Buddhism 
773 0 8 |i Enthalten in  |t Worldviews  |d Leiden [u.a.] : Brill, 1997  |g 27(2023), 1/2, Seite 25-56  |h Online-Ressource  |w (DE-627)325567123  |w (DE-600)2036957-8  |w (DE-576)098474359  |x 1568-5357  |7 nnns 
773 1 8 |g volume:27  |g year:2023  |g number:1/2  |g pages:25-56 
856 4 0 |u https://doi.org/10.1163/15685357-20211206  |x Resolving-System  |z lizenzpflichtig  |3 Volltext 
856 4 0 |u https://brill.com/abstract/journals/wo/27/1-2/article-p25_2.xml  |x Verlag  |z lizenzpflichtig  |3 Volltext 
935 |a mteo 
951 |a AR 
ELC |a 1 
ITA |a 1  |t 1 
LOK |0 000 xxxxxcx a22 zn 4500 
LOK |0 001 4269758066 
LOK |0 003 DE-627 
LOK |0 004 1833891392 
LOK |0 005 20230210052507 
LOK |0 008 230210||||||||||||||||ger||||||| 
LOK |0 035   |a (DE-Tue135)IxTheo#2023-02-09#671DE0DA2FD620AD4E1DF25E27158B9DDFC9987E 
LOK |0 040   |a DE-Tue135  |c DE-627  |d DE-Tue135 
LOK |0 092   |o n 
LOK |0 852   |a DE-Tue135 
LOK |0 852 1  |9 00 
LOK |0 935   |a ixzs  |a zota 
ORI |a SA-MARC-ixtheoa001.raw 
REL |a 1 
SUB |a REL